About
Our Mission
Akompani provides the resources our clients lack in order to create space and peace of mind to concentrate on their priority missions.
Why?
It has become increasingly difficult for international organisations and their staff to navigate the increasing complexity of development cooperation while still being able to create a positive impact. Development cooperation institutions are simultaneously facing a shortage in experts familiar with their distinctive procedural requirements. Pressure to use expanding budgets within short time frames, detailed reporting obligations, lengthy procurement procedures and working in a dynamic and potentially fragile context means sometimes disregarding the interests of implementation partners and beneficiaries.
As a result, conceptual and strategic decision-making and a meaningful engagement with partners doesn’t have the space it would deserve. Therefore, institutions are facing the risk of losing sight of what actually is essential in development cooperation.
This is what we bring to the table
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We have the procedural knowledge and expertise to support project management in technical and financial cooperation
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We are fluent in German, English, French and Spanish, have worked both in headquarter as well as in-country positions for years and therefore understand both the corporate and local perspective and challenges of working in partner countries
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We have extensive experience in supporting projects and institutions through trainings and facilitation, on-site and remotely
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We offer highly-skilled technical expertise combined with frankness, flexibility and reliability.
The Team
Eva and Jan came together in 2021 to found Akompani Ltd., combining their expertise and practical experience in financial and technical development assistance from the German Development Bank (KfW) and German International Cooperation (GIZ), language skills and sectoral expertise to allow their clients to focus the time, energy and resources on the essential purpose of their work and lives. They work with a fantastic team of individual experts on a case-by-case basis, their extensive network allows them to quickly source additional consultants based on the assignment requirements.
Eva Kirch
Founder
Eva Kirch is an international development consultant and trainer with recognized expertise and experience in accompanying the public sector in the design and implementation of (digitization) reforms in resource-poor environments.
She provides her advise through technical assistance missions, moderation of workshops and trainings, feasibility studies and operational planning for German and international development cooperation in the area of digitization and digital transformation, mining governance, public finance, civil registry and wider governance reform. Clients include the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, UNDP, GIZ and others.
Eva combines experience managing technical assistance projects for the German International Cooperation, working in the private (mining) sector as well as a freelance consultant. Eva has lived over 8 years in West- and Central Africa, works in English, German and French and holds a BA International Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies and a Master’s degree in Conflict, Security and Development from the University of Sussex. She recently moved back to London, where she is currently based, allowing her to go on long bike rides across the city.
Jan Frölich
Founder
Jan Frölich has 16 years of experience in consulting, project management and training in the context of development cooperation. During his career at the German Development Bank (KfW), he was mainly working as a senior project manager in the health & social protection sector in French speaking Africa but also occupying positions in the corporate strategy department and VC-unit of the bank. Jan also represented KfW as country director in Cameroon.
He has managed projects in various sectors (i.e. Energy, Biodiversity, Social Protection) but his key expertise is in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Neglected Tropical Diseases and OneHealth. At Akompani he acquired profound knowledge in financial planning for GIZ projects and helped several GIZ-teams all over the world with managing the change related to the implementation of new planning tools.
Jan lives in Frankfurt and works in German, French, English and Spanish. He is passionate about running and gardening. Jan holds Master’s degrees in Economics from Goethe-University Frankfurt and Paris Dauphine.